Proverbs 22:11-13
11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
One of the things that many Christians struggle with the the authenticity of the Bible. The Word of God, which is indeed truth, the source of our resurrection, the only trail of knowledge which leads to light, life, and grace. I heard on the radio last week someone said that Grace meant “God's Riches at Christ's Expense. I also heard Faith, which is “Forsaking All I Trust Him!” Now I'm not going to try and figure out where that actually came from and who wrote it and I've seen different quotes from the same context or spirit which slightly altered the individual words and somehow captured the same spirit of understanding. But it is that spirit of understanding that God has brought me here to talk about.
Psalm 119:32-34
32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Now if you really want to know the truth where is it that you can get it? Can anyone tell me that they've ever had a friend that was always there for them? I mean a friend that never let you down, I friend that neve said anything hurtful to you or did anything that either led you to sin encouraged you to sin or even caused you to sin against them?
Ps 119:152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.
God promises us that He will in fact preserve His Word He also tells us through many lessens of the Bible that He will always be their for us. As I was preparing the sermon for today I considered teaching on the subject of not teaching. What it was meant to reveal is how as I grew as a Christian, how when I was much younger and not as informed nor enlightened, that it prior ro the beginning of this sanctification process which I believe we as Christians go through. I remember how I once felt concerning my true understanding of God, who He was, especially the reality of His being, my understanding of the trinity, thus Christ Jesus and ultimately His authority in God and as God. I remember that it was not always clear to me who God was meaning I had not completely honed my own knowledge to the point that I held a solid foundation towards both my being able to explain God to others and not just God but in fact Christ to the lost and especially to the misguided cultist religious believers out there whom are both working for the enemy thus trying to cause a fracture and even undermining the spirit of what is Biblical truth.
I was traveling to Charlotte, NC a couple of weeks ago and on my return flight headed back to Dallas I sat next to a man who was reading a book entitled “Once a Bishop, always a Bishop.” I am constantly on the lookout for was to segway my talk into Biblical discussion. It's just how I tick, and I'm sorry to say that I don't always want to do it because I constantly fear from my own weakness of being yet fleshly, and my fear of rejection from others which often gets in the way of my sharing the Word with others. But I said something to this man, and I don't remember what it was, but I do remember that I did what now seems to come more natural and I told him my testimony. I cannot over emphasize the power of your own testimony because God had designed it to be used to reach others. Those you meet which are in fact alike in your walk. I can be used to reach and teach them about what it is that you have gone through. I promise you they too are going through something! It may not be exactly the same as ours yet it contains facets of similarity which touch and condition emotions, and circumstances which reflect understanding and familiarity to them. We were all once scared right? We were all once lost right? We were all once headed to Hell and no one either tried to convince us otherwise, or they just went along with us for the ride! No one, well at least for me, according to my taste, which for me was what was most important. Because all I wanted was what ever it was that I could get out of this episode , meaning my will, while I was I was in the world! I wanted nothing more than to sin and wallow in it! And according to the enemies standard “I was pretty good at it!” Yet it never failed; someone would always come along and try to steer me, trying to knock me off track. I mean I'd be chasing some girl and out of nowhere, someone would come into the scene and just ruin my plans. I remember how when I used to swear, which I had grown to become an expert at, my own friend and boss at the time, came in one day and sat down with me and ruined my desire to swear. “He even had the nerve to tell me that I had so much going for me, yet that my swearing caused others to look down towards me!” Can you imagine that? I mean I was angry! I was so angry, and yet perhaps because he was my boss it caused me to think, and because at the time, (now remember this was also during the time that I professed to be saved) here my wife was yet pregnant and about to deliver my son. And because of the way he worded it. In the spirit of the conversation. I actually began to take head and reflect on what he'd said. I was about 25 years old at the time and I believe that that conversation had a huge impact on my life.
What conversations are you having with others? What is it that you will talk about with those around you? Do you in fact fear man or do you fear God? That's ultimately what we face. We face the world head on. We are constantly at battle in combat with the adversary each and every day, and we have grown lazy. We need strength, we need strength from the only source of power there is, pure, and inspired and that comes only from the Word of God!
John 14
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
John 15
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Truth? You bet! One thing in particular that no man can dispute is that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I am not a pure follower of the thought that it is only from the original language or original scriptures or original writtings. But I do know this. God promised to preserve His word, to retain its truth, I believe that in the English language we can only find that lineage from the King James Bible. I have in fact done some study and have found that in every case, the King James has done the best at preserving the original intent of the message which in fact God had delivered to man. Now I also understand that it is not the King James Bible that saved me or anyone for that matter. Yet I have studied enough to understand that despite the intent of modern authors of newer Bibles, yet they all lack in the spirit of truth in ways that ultimately bring dishonor to God. So remember this, in the English language, today, for me and not just me alone but true theologians of the Word; the King James Bible should be used to back up any and every Biblical conversation that it being taught to our brethren. I understand that other Bibles can be used to draw the lost towards the truth. Yet it is impossible to use them to teach Biblical truth because they all in fact lack. And not only do they lack towards Christianity in general, but are often used to argue the foundational doctrine of other religions, we are talking about false religions! The the point that they cause a weakening of the true testimony of Christ, thus God Himself to the lost and dying world!
2 Thessalonians
1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
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